THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS

THE TAO TEH KING, OR THE TAO AND ITS

CHARACTERISTICS

61. 1. What makes a great state is its being (like) a low-lying, down-

flowing (stream);--it becomes the centre to which tend (all the small

states) under heaven.

2. (To illustrate from) the case of all females:--the female always

overcomes the male by her stillness. Stillness may be considered (a

sort of) abasement.

3. Thus it is that a great state, by condescending to small states,

gains them for itself; and that small states, by abasing themselves to

a great state, win it over to them. In the one case the abasement

leads to gaining adherents, in the other case to procuring favour.

4. The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them;

a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other.

Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase

itself.

62. 1. Tao has of all things the most honoured place.

No treasures give good men so rich a grace;

Bad men it guards, and doth their ill efface.

2. (Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds

can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good

are not abandoned by it.

3. Therefore when the sovereign occupies his place as the Son of

Heaven, and he has appointed his three ducal ministers, though (a

prince) were to send in a round symbol-of-rank large enough to fill

both the hands, and that as the precursor of the team of horses (in

the court-yard), such an offering would not be equal to (a lesson of)

this Tao, which one might present on his knees.

4. Why was it that the ancients prized this Tao so much? Was it not

because it could be got by seeking for it, and the guilty could escape

(from the stain of their guilt) by it? This is the reason why all

under heaven consider it the most valuable thing.

63. 1. (It is the way of the Tao) to act without (thinking of) acting;

to conduct affairs without (feeling the) trouble of them; to taste

without discerning any flavour; to consider what is small as great,

and a few as many; and to recompense injury with kindness.

2. (The master of it) anticipates things that are difficult while they

are easy, and does things that would become great while they are

small. All difficult things in the world are sure to arise from a

previous state in which they were easy, and all great things from one

in which they were small. Therefore the sage, while he never does

what is great, is able on that account to accomplish the greatest

things.

3. He who lightly promises is sure to keep but little faith; he who is

continually thinking things easy is sure to find them difficult.

Therefore the sage sees difficulty even in what seems easy, and so

never has any difficulties.

64. 1. That which is at rest is easily kept hold of; before a thing

has given indications of its presence, it is easy to take measures

against it; that which is brittle is easily broken; that which is very

small is easily dispersed. Action should be taken before a thing has

made its appearance; order should be secured before disorder has

begun.

2. The tree which fills the arms grew from the tiniest sprout; the

tower of nine storeys rose from a (small) heap of earth; the journey

of a thousand li commenced with a single step.

3. He who acts (with an ulterior purpose) does harm; he who takes

hold of a thing (in the same way) loses his hold. The sage does not

act (so), and therefore does no harm; he does not lay hold (so), and

therefore does not lose his bold. (But) people in their conduct of

affairs are constantly ruining them when they are on the eve of

success. If they were careful at the end, as (they should be) at the

beginning, they would not so ruin them.

4. Therefore the sage desires what (other men) do not desire, and

does not prize things difficult to get; he learns what (other men) do not

learn, and turns back to what the multitude of men have passed by.

Thus he helps the natural development of all things, and does not dare

to act (with an ulterior purpose of his own).

65. 1. The ancients who showed their skill in practising the Tao did

so, not to enlighten the people, but rather to make them simple and

ignorant.

2. The difficulty in governing the people arises from their having

much knowledge. He who (tries to) govern a state by his wisdom is a

scourge to it; while he who does not (try to) do so is a blessing.

3. He who knows these two things finds in them also his model and

rule. Ability to know this model and rule constitutes what we call

the mysterious excellence (of a governor). Deep and far-reaching is

such mysterious excellence, showing indeed its possessor as

opposite to others, but leading them to a great conformity to him.

66. 1. That whereby the rivers and seas are able to receive the

homage and tribute of all the valley streams, is their skill in being

lower than they;--it is thus that they are the kings of them all. So it is

that the sage (ruler), wishing to be above men, puts himself by his

words below them, and, wishing to be before them, places his person

behind them.

2. In this way though he has his place above them, men do not feel his

weight, nor though he has his place before them, do they feel it an

injury to them.

3. Therefore all in the world delight to exalt him and do not weary of

him. Because he does not strive, no one finds it possible to strive

with him.

67. 1. All the world says that, while my Tao is great, it yet appears

to be inferior (to other systems of teaching). Now it is just its

greatness that makes it seem to be inferior. If it were like any

other (system), for long would its smallness have been known!

2. But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The

first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking

from taking precedence of others.

3. With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be

liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a

vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness

and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the

hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;--(of all which the end

is) death.

4. Gentleness is sure to be victorious even in battle, and firmly to

maintain its ground. Heaven will save its possessor, by his (very)

gentleness protecting him.

68. He who in (Tao's) wars has skill

Assumes no martial port;

He who fights with most good will

To rage makes no resort.

He who vanquishes yet still

Keeps from his foes apart;

He whose hests men most fulfil

Yet humbly plies his art.

Thus we say, 'He ne'er contends,

And therein is his might.'

Thus we say, 'Men's wills he bends,

That they with him unite.'

Thus we say, 'Like Heaven's his ends,

No sage of old more bright.'

69. 1. A master of the art of war has said, 'I do not dare to be the

host (to commence the war); I prefer to be the guest (to act on the

defensive). I do not dare to advance an inch; I prefer to retire a

foot.' This is called marshalling the ranks where there are no ranks;

baring the arms (to fight) where there are no arms to bare; grasping

the weapon where there is no weapon to grasp; advancing against

the enemy where there is no enemy.

2. There is no calamity greater than lightly engaging in war. To do

that is near losing (the gentleness) which is so precious. Thus it is

that when opposing weapons are (actually) crossed, he who deplores

(the situation) conquers.

70. 1. My words are very easy to know, and very easy to practise; but

there is no one in the world who is able to know and able to practise

them.

2. There is an originating and all-comprehending (principle) in my

words, and an authoritative law for the things (which I enforce). It

is because they do not know these, that men do not know me.

3. They who know me are few, and I am on that account (the more) to

be prized. It is thus that the sage wears (a poor garb of) hair cloth,

while he carries his (signet of) jade in his bosom.